Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-05-20

nut mare from Tunbridge, Orange coun-
ty, VT, said to be by Justin Morgan.
Tunbridge joins Randolph, the old home
of Justin Morgan, so this is possible
enough, and may admit of proof or dis
proof.
Mr.. Leland says he bought her of her
breeder in the winter of 1919; wintered
her at Sherburne, VT; and after driving
her in the spring of 1885 to Albany, Ny,
and letting his assistant have her to use
on a peddle cart, trading on the west side
of the lake, he traded her at Appolos
Austin's in Orwell to Rufus Rising for a
gray gelding. Orwell is in Addison
county, west side of the mountains, on
the lake and nearly opposite to Ticonder-
oga). He traded her for the faults of not
standing without hitching and of being
frightened if anything was flirted near
her. Mr.. Rising had seen her in New York
State and came over to trade for her.
Now to take up minor points first, of
curse it strikes every one that this mare
had the characteristics of the willy.
hCI'N 0liiN'' say ih'lNt 'Rb was
afraid of a buffalo, was hard to catch,
and would 90 just where she chose when
turned out. But another thing strikes
one as more significant. Several of
those who purported to give just what
was said as to where the mare came from.
stated that she was said to have CONF
from ''over the Green Mountains" Hovt
johnson (whom | believe to be a thor
oughly accurate and careful witness)savs:
"Rufus Rising went over the Green
Mountains or on to the Green Noun
tains and got the mare" John a. Pinch
in says: sit was always said Johnson
got her of Old Uncle Rufus Rising. They
said old Uncle Rising got her over the
mountain Joshua IIolcomb says Ru-
fus Rising got the mare cover the Green
Mountains :" Gustavus Wicker, reporting
IA conversation he had with Zeno Rising,
says: 'Zeno Rising told me he got her
over the Green Mountain. This was
before Ethan was bred. He said ocer the
mountain" This last, in reply to a re-
peated question, was given with so much
emphasis that the cover was under
scored in my notes. and appears in the
report in italics. Mr.. Clark of Hague,
who was said to be quite a student of
pedigrees, told Us he had understood that
the mare came from Ludlow, Vt. Lud-
low is in the same county and only one
town lies between it and Springfield.
Now as to dates. Mr.. Leland states
that it was Just before having in the sum
mer of 1885 that he traded this gray
, mare to Rufus Rising. IIoyt johnson
. and wife fix the time when George John
son sold her to Warner Cook with great
. positiveness. They say it was the year
that George lived on the farm where sam
g.. Alderman now lives, and think he lived
, there only one year: that was the year
: that their boy Perry was born, which
their family record shows was 1888. Aug.
/, 2G. Mrs. johnson remembered the sale
of the mare perfectly well, and stated
: that Geo.. johnson also had IA child born
to him the same year; says she and her
| husband lived right close to George: the
| houses stood but Il little way apart: and
: she used to see Warner Cook ride by on
that mare, a very heavy man. and George
p, thought he abused the little mare. 1t
may be set down As established that
Johnson sold the mare to Cook in the
? summer of 1888.
= IIoyt johnson thinks Rufus Rising had
1 the mare about Il year and then traded
. her to George johnson, who had her two
. or three years and sold her to Cook. JUS
1 tus b. Rising says that his Uncle Rufus
. owned that mare Fifty years ago" (sum-
mer of 1851. At the same interview
| he says: II am 90 years old. | was II
years old or so. | drew logs when | was
II years old with a pair of steers" All
. the evidence | have alluded to has been
f published in THE REGISTER. | have not
e specified the papers only because it would
make this article too cumbersome. | now
e wish to refer to an interview that | had
with Justus b. Rising, Oct. IL, 1885, only
\ an abstract of which has been published.
| will give it verbatim. Justus b. Rising
, said: ~ can't say that Uncle Rufus had
t the mare when | drove oxen up there at
t II QS34). | think that was before he
4 had the mare. 1t was right away after
a that-perhaps IA year or more-that Tn
| Gle Rufus had the mare. | knew the
: mare well. | did not see Geo. johnson
n have her, but it was always understood
e that she passed through Geo. Johnson's
r hands. | knew the mare in Warner
= Cooks hands and always after that.
| was IA particular friend of Valorus, War
: ner Cooks son, and was well acquainted
with Warner and his folks. Think he
n used to ride her. | frequently saw her in
Cooks hands-in Warmers and VIM. ii.
Cooks; | IN just AS confident it was the